It’s November and it’s cold. While the games have stopped, it’s the perfect time to build good hitting habits and strength. The months of August through October are times that smart hitters assess their swings, but November through January are months that smart hitters build hitting habits and strength.
Smart hitters don’t waste time so, in the spirit of being efficient, let me share three drills that you must do in November to build good hitting habits and strength at the same time.
The stance and load are two under coached skills of hitting. That’s why they must be recognized as skills and taken seriously. Without these two skills, you will be a fan of baseball.
No. 1 – My favorite drill for developing a good load is the Chair Drill.
The drill:
- Sit upright in a chair.
- Trigger your hands back between your back shoulder and back ear.
- Stride the length of your bat with your front toe and back heel on the ground in a straight line.
Click here to see this simple drill in action.
The benefit: The major benefit of a good load is being in a position to track pitches of varying speeds, types and locations.
No. 2 – Now that your load is good, you must develop the skill of doing it on time. My favorite simple drill for developing a good load on time is the Partner Drill-Timing.
The drill:
- Get a partner to complete his pitching delivery without throwing a ball.
- Get loaded on time varying between an above average fastball, average fastball and below average fastball.
Click here to see this simple drill in action.
The benefit: The major benefit of a good load on time is being in a position to track pitches of varying speeds, types and locations.
No. 3 – Now that your load is good and on time, it’s time to focus on the tempo of the load. One of my favorite tempo drills involved the Hitting Jack-It Hitting System.
The drill:
1. Take one 5-ounce Hitting Jack-It, one 9-ounce Hitting Jack-It and one 12–ounce Hitting Jack-It.
Your Hitting Program
- 5 ounce x 15 swings
- 9 ounce x 10 swings
- 12 ounce x 5 swings
Do 4 sets a day for 25 days.
Click here to see this simple drill in action.
The benefit: The major benefit of a good load on time with good tempo is being in a position to track pitches of varying speeds, types and locations.
It takes 3,000 reps to develop a habit so get started.
Remember: Good hitters don’t work hard; they work smart.
For more information, visit www.diamonddirectors.com today.
BIO
C.J. Stewart has built a reputation as one of the leading professional hitting instructors in the country. He is a former professional baseball player in the Chicago Cubs organization and has also served as an area scout for the Cincinnati Reds. As founder and CEO of Diamond Directors Player Development, CJ has more than 12 years of player development experience and has built an impressive list of clients, including some of the top young prospects in baseball today. If your desire is to change your game for the better, C.J Stewart has a proven system of development and track record of success that can work for you.
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